"Bless me, reader, for I have sinned. For 40 years Moses wandered in the wilderness. And for roughly the same amount of time I have stumbled through the landmines of contemporary culture, wearing the sackcloth of the most extreme form of penitent journalist. I have been a critic. Well, apparently I have. That's what everyone tells me. Lord knows I've denied it over the years."
"A few years ago I was chatting with Libby Appel, who at the time was artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. "You know, I've never really thought of myself as a critic," I told her. Libby's eyebrow arched. (Sometimes eyebrows actually do that.) "Oh, you're a critic," she said emphatically. I like her and respect her,"
A long-term cultural critic can resist the critic label while nonetheless performing criticism. Critics occupy a liminal position in the arts, provoking both respect and friction from artists and audiences. Personal interactions with artistic leaders can make that role unmistakable. The critic's practice involves balancing candid evaluation with fairness and an awareness of impact on creators. Critics must accept scrutiny, disagreement, and the possibility of being right or wrong. Multiple valid approaches to arts commentary coexist, and readers respond differently depending on tone, insight, and perceived integrity.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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